Apparatus for shaping ingots during continuous and semi-continuous casting of metals

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS FOR SHAPING INGOTS IN THE PROCESS OF CONTINOUS AND SEMI-CONTINUOUS CASTING OF METALS PROVIDED WITH A DEVICE FOR FEEDING A MOLTEN META ONTO A DUMMY BAR IN EACH OF THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH INCLUDES A COOLED INDUCTOR FOR SHAPING A LIQUID PORTION OF THE INGOT AND A COLLECTOR WITH A SHIELD FOR COOLING LIQUIDS DIRECTED ONTO THE SIDE SURFACES OF THE INGOT BEING SHAPED. THE INDUCTORS OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED ARRANGEMENTS ARE CONNECTED IN SERIES THROUGH JUMPERS, EACH OF WHICH IS MADE OF TWO BARS INSULATED ONE FROM ANOTHER, IN WHICH CASE THESE JUMPERS AND CURRENT-CARRYING BARS ARE INCLINED DOWNWARDS FROM THE INDUCTORS. THE LATTER ARE MADE SMOOTHLY DECREASING IN HEIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF EACH JUMPER AND CURRENT-CARRYING BAR.

Nov. 7, 1972 2. N. GETSELEV 3,702,155

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING INGO'I'S DURING CONTINUOUS AND SEMI-CONTINUOUS CASTING 0F METALS Filed Dec. 9, 1970 United States Patent US. Cl. 164-251 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for shaping ingots in the process of continuous and semi-continuous casting of metals provided with a device for feeding a molten metal onto a dummy bar in each of the arrangements which includes a cooled inductor for shaping a liquid portion of the ingot and a collector with a shield for cooling liquids directed onto the side surfaces of the ingot being shaped. The inductors of the above-mentioned arrangements are connected in series through jumpers, each of which is made of two bars insulated one from another, in which case these jumpers and current-carrying bars are inclined downwards from the inductors. The latter are made smoothly decreasing in height in the direction of each jumper and current-carrying bar.

The present invention relates to apparatus for shaping ingots by means of an electromagnetic field in the process of continuous and semi-continuous casting of metals including ferrous and non-ferrous metals and their alloys.

Known in the art are devices for shaping ingots by means of an electromagnetic field in the process of continuous and semi-continuous casting of metals. These devices include a means (a trough) for feeding the metal to a dummy bar, an inductor preventing the metal from running off from the dummy bar, and a collector with a shield on the wall facing the ingot and intended for supplying cooling water onto side walls of the ingot being shaped.

The above-said inductor and collector with a shield are disposed on a support concentrically to the ingot. Tubes are provided for feeding the cooling liquid to the currentcarrying bars, while the inductor has a space to be filled with a cooling medium.

In the process of supplying the molten metal to the dummy bar and then onto the upper solidified portion of the ingot, the inductor builds up an alternating electromagnetic field producing within the molten metal forces directed into this metal, thus preventing the metal from running off and shaping it into an ingot.

In this case the molten metal in its cross section acquires a shape which depends on the shape and intensity of the 'magnetic field of the inductor. The liquid fed onto the side surface of the ingot assists in fixing this shape of the ingot (cf. US. Pat. No. 3,467,166).

The inductor is usually made in the form of an annular tube having a rectangular cross section or in the form of a solid rectangular copper bar mounted in the member secured to the collector.

Such a device is suitable for shaping ingots in succession.

In order to speed up the production of the ingots, it is expedient to shape them simultaneously.

However, when the above devices were combined with the inductors, the produced ingots had projections on their side surface. This complicated their further treatment and was associated with a waste of metal.

Any change in the intensity of the electromagnetic field results in the distortion of the ingot surface.

In order to obtain a uniform intensity of the magnetic field in each inductor, when the same current flows through all the inductors, the latter are preferably conthe jumpers connecting the inductors. The disturbance in the symmetry of the magnetic field in a horizontal plane is caused by the interaction of the magnetic fields built up by the currents of the inductors and the jumpers connecting the inductors and also is affected by the gaps in the places of connection of the inductors to a power line.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages.

The basic object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for simultaneously shaping several ingots in the process of continuous and semicontinuous casting of metal, which will be economically expedient, highly efficient and will make it possible to produce ingots without projections on the side surface.

This object is attained by providing an apparatus for shaping ingots in the process of continuous and semicontinuous casting of metals which includes a device for feeding the molten metal onto a dummy bar and then, after forming an ingot on the dummy bar, onto the upper portion of this ingot; current-carrying bars connected to an arrangement including components concentrically supported about the liquid portion of the ingot, said components including a collector of a cooling liquid, whose wall facing the ingot is provided with a shield, and a rigidly fixed cooled inductor producing a magnetic field to prevent the molten metal from flowing down from the upper portion of the ingot; which apparatus, according to the invention, is provided with at least another similar :arrangement, the inductors of the arrangements being connected in series through jumpers, each jumper being made of two bars insulated from each other.

Such a construction of the apparatus makes it very compact, while reducing the number of electrical units (step-down transformers, high-frequency generators, etc.) as compared to the apparatus in which the above-said arrangements operate separately.

Each inductor is advantageously made smoothly decreasing in height in the direction to each jumper and current-carrying bar, while providing a constant level of the upper edge of the inductor. This allows the surface of each ingot to be improved at the side of the jumper and current-carrying bar.

The jumpers and current-carrying bars are preferably made inclined downwards from the inductor. This makes it possible to prevent formation of projections on the ingot surface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description of a particular embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation taken along a longitudinal axis of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the two inductors with currentcarrying bars connected in series through a jumper;

FIG. 3 is a view of the inductor along the arrow A in FIG. 2, when turned through FIG. 4 is a view of the jumper connecting the inductors as shown along the arrow B in FIG. 2.

The apparatus for shaping ingots in the process of continuous and semi-continuous casting of metals includes means for feeding the molten metal which can be made in the form of one or several troughs 1 (FIG. 1) and floating distributing cups 2 complete with bells for controlling the consumption of metal.

Each cup 2 has peripheral openings for discharging a molten metal. After forming an ingot 4 on the dummy bar 3, the cup 2 floats on the upper molten portion of the ingot.

The apparatus incorporates several arrangements, each,

through jumpers 11 (FIG. 2), each jumper being made in the form of two bars insulated one from another.

The jumpers 11 (FIG. 4) and current-carrying bars are inclined downwards at an angle of 30-45 from the inductor 9 to which they are connected. The inductors 9 are made integral with the current-carrying bars 10 (FIG. 2) and jumpers 11 of solid copper bars having a rectangular cross section. Each inductor 9 is located in a passage 12 (FIG. 1) formed by the member 8 and collector 6 and is secured therein in slots. These passages 12 are intended for supply of cooling Water to the inductors 9. The passages are sealed through packing glands. The members 8 and the collector 6 are made of a dielectric material, for example, Textolite or fiber glass. Copper tubes 13 (\FIG. 2) having a rectangular cross section are soldered to the current-carrying bars 10. These tubes 13 are removed from the inductor 9 and are placed into the longitudinal slots of the collector 6 and member 8 through which extend the current-carrying bars 10. The bars forming the jumpers 11 and the current-carrying bars 10 have insulation spacers14 to which they are glued through epoxy resin.

The apparatus operates as follows:

The water for cooling the ingot is fed into each collector 6. The water for cooling the inductors 9 and current-carrying bars 10 is fed through the tubes 13. The inductor 9 is fed with an electric current (the direction of the current is shown by arrows in FIG. 2) and the molten metal is fed to the dummy bar 3 through the trough 1.

Under the action of the electromagnetic field of the inductor 9 the molten metal acquires a shape which depends on the shape of the inductor 9 and the intensity of the magnetic field. The water from the collector 6 flows 4 along the external surface of the shield 7 and is fed out the side surface of the ingot being shaped, thus assisting in fixation of its shape. The floating cup 2 is placed onto the upper liquid portion of each ingot 4 to provide for uniform supply of the metal being shaped into an ingot.

While the ingot 4 is growing, the dummy bar 3 is lowered for producing an ingot of a required length.

Tests have shown that the proposed apparatus has a high operating capacity and can be used for simultaneously producing several ingots having no projections on the surface. The apparatus is compact and economically practicable.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for shaping ingots in the process of continuous and semi-continuous casting of metals which comprises means for feeding molten metal to a plurality of dummy bars and thereafter, when an ingot is formed on a dummy bar, onto the upper portion of the ingot, a collector for a cooling liquid disposed concentrically about the liquid portion of each ingot, each collector having a shield on the wall facing its respective ingot, a rigidly secured cooled inductor disposed concentrically about the liquid portion of each ingot for producing an electromagnetic field to prevent the molten metal from running off from the upper portion of the ingot, jumpers for connecting said inductors to form a series circuit through the inductors, each jumper comprising two bars which are separated from each other by insulation, and means for supplying current to said series circuit being secured to one of the inductors.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein'each of the inductors is made smoothly decreasing in height in the direction of each jumper and each current-carrying bar, while providing a constant level of its upper edge.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the jumpers and the current-carrying bars are inclined downwards from the inductor.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the jumpers and the current-carrying bars are inclined down wards from the inductor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,686,864 8/ 1954 Wroughten et al 219- 3,455,372 7/1969 Yamarnoto 164-86 X 3,467,166 9/1969 Getselev et "a1. 164-250X 3,495,063 2/1970 Miller 219--7.5 X

R. SPENCER ANNEAR, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 164273 M; 219-7.5 

